Chapter 131

I stood in the hallway breathless, wondering when the door would swing open. With Lady Euphyllia falling suddenly ill, I had reached out to Lady Anis, who sped back to the capital. They had asked me to wait outside, and yet… “Are they really okay…?” A few minutes earlier, Anis’s presence had seemed to grow more tumultuous. Something was wrong. Even from outside, I could hear angry voices shouting from the other side of the door. It was enough to make my legs tremble. Maybe Lady Anis’s dragon magic was flaring up along with her emotions? I had only my senses to go on, but just thinking about how enraged she must be had me breaking out into a cold shiver. I hoped Lady Euphyllia would be okay. I continued fretting for the longest moment, but at last, it seemed like Lady Anis’s outburst was settling down. All the same, my unease lingered. After a long wait, the door opened. It was an unexpected face that greeted me—Lady Lumi’s. “Lady Lumi?!” I exclaimed. “Oh, Lainie. Hello.” She greeted me with her usual cryptic smile. I had never had an opportunity before to really talk to her. Besides Lady Anis and Lady Euphyllia, she hardly spoke to anyone other than His Former Majesty King Orphans. Naturally, our paths had crossed, seeing as I was often at Lady Euphyllia’s side, but we had never actually addressed each other one-on-one. But what was she doing in there? My mind wandered, hoping the other two were all right. After all, it didn’t look like they were coming out. Perhaps sensing my concern, Lady Lumi let out a soft chuckle. “Let’s leave them alone for a little while. They’ll settle down soon.” “How are Lady Anis and Lady Euphyllia? Lady Anis seemed extremely angry a moment ago…” “Oh, she was livid. She could have murdered everyone who had ever done Euphyllia wrong.” “I see…” I myself was filled with rage over that western noble’s unforgivable insult, so it was little wonder Lady Anis was so incensed. Nonetheless, it was a mistake to wear one’s resentment and bitterness so openly. Unable to keep up, I breathed a resigned sigh. “Well, there’s no need to worry,” Lady Lumi continued. “I kept Anis from getting out of control. After all, Euphyllia’s condition would have worsened even more if she’d gone on a rampage.” “Thank you.” “There’s no need for thanks… But might I ask you something?” “Hmm? What is it?” “Does it make you feel uneasy having a nonhuman ruler?” “Huh…?” I couldn’t formulate an immediate response to that question, yet Lady Lumi stared quietly at me, waiting for an answer. We had met several times in the past, but she had never fixed me with such an intense stare. Yes, there was something otherworldly about her. I couldn’t read her one little bit. Part of me wanted to use my vampire powers to probe deeper into her emotions, but something about that idea scared me. She had lived a long time as a spirit covenantor, and there was no telling what I might find. While I was still thinking over my answer, Lady Lumi continued, “Neither of them is an ordinary human. If they wanted, they could destroy the kingdom with ease. I wouldn’t be able to stop them. And if I couldn’t stop them, who could?” “Um…” “Doesn’t it make you uneasy? The country is headed by two incredibly dangerous beings that have little in common with ordinary people. There’s no telling when they might show their true colors and turn against us. They could lose all control because of matters no one else can fully understand. It’s a scary thought, don’t you think?” “…It is. But I believe in them both.” “Oh? A splendid answer. But how many people, I wonder, could say the same? You can vouch for them because you’re often with them. Wouldn’t you agree?” “…Yes, I suppose.” “The further away they are, the less a person’s true nature is understood. They both possess overwhelming power, and Euphyllia holds the title of spirit covenantor, which carries great significance in this country. I wonder how many people can truly understand what lies in their hearts?” Very few, no doubt. That was what I thought, but I couldn’t say it out loud. If I did, I would have to face a reality I didn’t want to acknowledge. One could blame the world for being so unfair, but then I would hate the circumstances that forced all this on them. Why couldn’t people just understand them for who they were? “It’s not fair, is it?” “…No, I can’t deny it.” It was human nature—people feared that which they couldn’t understand, and so they tried to keep it at a distance or else eliminate it entirely. “You wish to continue understanding them both,” Lady Lumi went on. “So long as you understand them, so long as they remain the beings you expect them to be, you don’t fear them.” “…Have you seen it?” I asked. “Seen what?” “What Lady Euphyllia is like…when she’s angry…?” Lady Lumi shook her head. “I wasn’t there. Though I can imagine from what I’ve heard.” “I see…” “I don’t think Euphyllia’s policies are wrong per se. However, that doesn’t mean everyone is going to accept them. This country has clung to its belief in spirits for generations. People aren’t going to let go so easily. It’s a time of great trials.” “Great trials…?” “I wonder who is really being tested here. Those two children? Or the country itself?” Lady Lumi murmured, averting her gaze. “Without a doubt, Anisphia and Euphyllia hold the fate of the Kingdom of Palettia in their hands. They complement each other; one prevents the other from going berserk. But it’s a precarious balance. If either wanted to, they could destroy the country. It all comes down to love.” “Love…?” They could destroy out of love. Yes, those words struck home. After all, Lady Anis had so many reasons to hate the Kingdom of Palettia, to want to see it come to ruin. She had been oppressed for so long as a royal princess unable to use magic. On top of that, her younger brother, Algard, had been driven to near madness by the attitudes of other nobles. And of course, her parents had been constantly subjected to hardship, too. Lady Anis had every reason to resent the world, yet she pursued not revenge but the fulfillment of her dreams. It was a choice, and she didn’t choose destruction. That was all. Why? Because she loved so many things—her family, magic, the Kingdom of Palettia, its people. Love triumphed over hate. That was why she had never acted out of resentment. …But what if that balance were reversed? If her hatred outweighed her love, nothing would ever stop her. The power that drove her dreams would turn to destruction. Yes, it wasn’t difficult to imagine the devastation that would ensue. “So long as they both continue to pursue their ideals, they will have to face new trials,” Lady Lumi said. “It’s up to them to overcome them.” “…Are they going to be able to do it?” “Who knows? What I will say is that nothing ever goes entirely as you expect after entering into a spirit covenant. It’s a transaction that gives great power—but in exchange, you have to accept whatever consequences the future brings.” “Future consequences…” “Humans are mortal creatures. We all die, one way or another. But the death of a spirit covenantor is no easy thing. We are existence itself. If you consider life eternal, then it’s tantamount to immortality. You become a spirit, dissolving into the world and becoming a part of it while forgetting everything you ever were. Would you call that living?” I grimaced at Lady Lumi’s question. Eternity—it was a word that haunted me like a curse. As a vampire, I could never turn my back on the concept; it was a burden I, too, would always have to bear. As much as I could, I tried not to think about it—but at times like this, when someone else brought it up, my spirits fell. I had to breathe a deep sigh in an effort to pull myself together. “My apologies. I hope I didn’t upset you,” Lady Lumi said. “No, don’t worry. I understand I have to face that aspect of myself.” “You’re admirable; you all are. It’s a huge part of your charm,” she said with a chuckle. Lady Lumi was a hard one to pin down, but it was clear she cared about us all in her own way. That said, I did find her inscrutable behavior more than a little challenging. At that moment, she fell silent, her expression turning solemn. “It’s important to face life’s trials, but there’s no need to feel pessimistic. You have each other for support. I’m glad Euphyllia has Anisphia. So long as they look out for one another, my fears, I hope, won’t come to pass. But that’s assuming they continue to support each other.” “I don’t see them drifting apart,” I pointed out. “That’s true. They’re unlikely to abandon each other, not willingly. But the power they each possess is immense. Remove just a few of the restraints, and they could destroy the world. It’s because of their self-control that they’re still functioning as part of society. But they could turn their backs on everyone at any moment.” My shoulders jerked slightly at those words. “They need to constantly hold themselves in check, to firmly push back against their urges. And the stronger one is, the stronger that discipline has to be. Even then, they might break.” I bit my lip so hard, I could have chewed right through it. “A spirit covenant is the result of a wish you want to see come true even at the cost of your own life. Once you’ve entered into it, you have no choice but to live bound forever to that wish. You understand what that means, don’t you? Happiness becomes a most difficult thing.” “…Yes.” “Anisphia’s powers likewise teeter on the brink of destruction. Yet humans continue to cling to such immense power.” At that moment, from behind the closed door, I heard someone crying. It was Lady Anis, and she sounded like a small child bawling their eyes out. What was behind her tears? She was probably asking herself why Lady Euphyllia had to suffer. It was all because people kept on selfishly imposing their own ideals. Yes, things hadn’t changed at all since Algard’s time. People were still hurting each other the same as they always had. It was unforgivable, enough to make me grind my teeth in frustration. “…Have you ever asked yourself if it might not be better if this country never existed?” Lady Lumi asked in a soft voice. “I would never…” “The world is immensely vast. There are plenty of places you can live without any need for magic. Don’t you think all this unhappiness could be avoided if we abandoned magic altogether?” “As someone who was oppressed for a long time, I have no love for this country. I have mixed feelings about the current status quo.” “In that case, haven’t you ever asked yourself if we would be better off without the Kingdom of Palettia specifically?” “Never,” I answered without hesitation. At that, Lady Lumi turned to face me, fixing me with a hard, perceptive stare. I could see my own reflection in her eyes. “You say that so easily. You didn’t need time to think?” “I was born in this country, and it’s because of it that I’ve met the people I care about. I can’t give up on it just because of the hardships I’ve faced, especially not when I want to support Lady Anis’s wish for magic to be a blessing, not a curse. I can live with the problems.” “…Hmm. I see.” “Well… That’s also why I’m so mad about this latest problem, though…,” I said, finally able to let out a small laugh. Drawn in by my lighthearted response, Lady Lumi broke into a relaxed and gentle smile. “…I’ve always known happiness doesn’t last forever,” she said at last. “Lady Lumi…?” “Everything must come to an end. Or perhaps I just feel the need to end it somewhere. But I still want to see where this country is headed. It might feel empty and hollow at times, but this is still the land that my loved ones fought to defend,” she murmured. I was left utterly speechless. Part of me warned I shouldn’t interrupt, that I had to hear her out. “That’s why I always wanted it to have a beautiful ending, but I know that’s a selfish thing to ask for. Yet I still want it. Yes, when it comes down to it, we’re selfish creatures at heart.” “…Maybe.” “I couldn’t bring myself to leave Anisphia and Euphyllia to their own devices. Those girls…when I looked at them, I saw hope.” “Hope?” “That this country we all wished for doesn’t need the happiness we thought it did. That its people could surpass the happiness we had in mind for them. That when such a time comes to pass, I won’t be needed anymore.” “…Lady Lumi…do you want to die?” “Well…if possible, I’d like to fall asleep and dream, knowing I’ll never have to open my eyes again. That, to me, would be the best way to end things. Not to give up because I’m not required, but to choose a future that will be okay without me.” Lady Lumi spoke in a soft voice, earnestly praying for that day to come. “I hope their wishes will be the conclusion of my own. It’s for that reason I can’t bring myself to leave them alone. In the past, I might have given up halfway and gone back to the forest.” “Thank you for staying. I, for one, greatly appreciate your being here.” After all, without Lady Lumi, this situation would have been much more chaotic. I couldn’t have been more relieved to have her near at hand. But at the same time, I wondered if this really was for the best. According to Lady Lumi, the world would be a better place without spirit covenantors, who continued to exist eternally bound by their desires. Yet those dreams weren’t necessarily always fulfilled the way they hoped. It was a sobering thought. Perhaps Lady Euphyllia felt the same way. Was that why they both believed spirit covenants should be things of the past? But in that case, what was I supposed to do? How could we prevent more people from entering into them? Lady Euphyllia became a spirit covenantor for Lady Anis. And it was the nature of the kingdom itself that brought Lady Anis to suffering. The problem ultimately lay with the corrupt nobility. Which meant… Just as my thoughts reached this point, Lady Lumi, still smiling, posed another question: “What are you going to do now?” “…What am I going to do?” “Something tells me you feel like giving a little push.” “I do…” “Yes, I thought as much.” I gave a faint smile. There was no doubt about it—I was eager to get moving. I couldn’t stand to have things stay the way they were. “I’ll do what I can,” I continued. “It wouldn’t be right to make Lady Euphyllia and Lady Anis shoulder everything.” “Yes. Well, good luck. I’ll keep an eye on them both.” “Thank you, Lady Lumi,” I said as I watched her go. Then, with almost perfect timing, Lady Ilia appeared down the hall just as I thought to go looking for her. “Lainie.” “Lady Ilia. Thank you for showing Master Navre and the others in.” When Lady Anis said she wanted to speak to Lady Euphyllia alone, I had asked Lady Ilia to take care of the other guests. I was glad I had run into her, as there were a few things I wanted to discuss with them all. “I explained the situation as best I could,” she began. “Thank you. Could we all talk over tea perhaps?” I asked. “Of course.” And so the two of us made our way to the room where the others were already waiting. When we stepped inside, Master Navre, his expression stern, was the first to turn our way. “Lainie, are Commander Anisphia and Queen Euphyllia okay…?” “They’re still talking in their room. It seems Lady Anis lost her temper, though…” “Was that surge of magical energy we felt her, then…?” Master Navre grimaced. “…Talk about scary. It gave us the shivers all the way over here. She must have been seeing red, all right,” Gark added as he held his arms and rubbed them to dispel a cold chill. Indeed, that surge of bloodlust had given me pause, too. Just thinking about it stirred up bitter feelings. “…If she hadn’t cooled down, she might have taken the fight to the western nobles herself…,” I explained. “That bad, huh…? Well, we’ve heard what happened. I get why she’s mad, but this is turning into a huge headache…,” Gark muttered, looking like he was on the verge of cursing. “But if she well and truly lost her cool, who could stop her? I wish people would know when to shut their mouths. Seriously, what was that idiot thinking…?” Master Navre said, his face downcast. I could understand how they both felt—which was why we had to formulate a plan to move forward. “I’m sorry, everyone, but could I ask for your help with something?” I said. “With what?” Master Navre asked. “I’d like to give the two of them some more time alone together, but I also think it would be unwise of us to ignore the situation. I want to make our own preparations, so I’m thinking of calling Master Lang and the others to talk things over.” His eyes widened in surprise. I paused for a moment. Was my suggestion really so out of the blue? “Lainie,” he said, “you mean you want to discuss the western nobles?” “Yes. In any case, someone is going to have to act. I want everything to be in place when Lady Euphyllia and Lady Anis decide to respond.” “So you want to see Lang and the other royal advisors…?” “Yes. If possible, I’d like to talk with them immediately after this.” But would they all come? Given I had left Master Lang with the western nobles after Lady Euphyllia’s breakdown, they might not. If he couldn’t talk, I would just have to give up for now. “Then I’ll send word to the Ministry of the Arcane,” Priscilla offered. “Thank you. Charnée, could you go to Marquis Claret’s villa and fetch Lady Tilty?” “Go and call Lady Tilty? Right away!”